i've been solo with the young ladies all week,

so responses a bit slower, in case you require one. Christine is two weeks at the Banff Writers Studio working on poems (from edits to her forthcoming third title to sketching out poems for her potential fourth), as I am solo with our young ladies until January 28th. Most of it is fine, although it is a bit tricky to convince both children into the car for 7:40am, to transport Rose over to school, over an hour before Aoife and I need to leave the house. Otherwise, I am working on my usual slew of reviews, my book-length essay (have you checked out my substack?) and even some poems (accidentally), as well as various house-cleanings (easier, a bit, when dear wife away). The young ladies and I have had a couple of adventures since Christine left on Saturday, including a visit to my sister out by the homestead, and even brought her one of the many cakes the young ladies insisted on baking that morning (we still have a couple of those cakes). Is it too late to start giving out any of these cakes? And what other adventures might we get up to?